Both Romney and Gingrich claim their policies are good for the American middle class. But the economic plans they’ve both embraced slash taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans while doing nearly nothing for the middle class.

ROMNEY’S ECONOMIC PLAN WOULD DO ALMOST NOTHING FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

Romney Said He Would Eliminate Capital Gains For People Making Less Than $200,000 But Most Capital-Gains Are Paid By The Richest Americans And The Romney Campaign Didn’t Offer An Impact Estimate. “He would eliminate taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains for people making less than $200,000 a year. A campaign spokeswoman declined to offer estimates of the proposal's budget impact ‘because they are still being refined and finalized.’ Most capital-gains taxes are paid by the richest Americans, and Democrats said Mr. Romney's plan would have scant effect.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/6/11]

A Typical Middle Class Family Nationwide Making Between $40,000-$50,000 Would See An Average Tax Cut Of $54 if Romney’s Proposal To Eliminate Taxes On Capital Gains, Interest, And Dividends Were in Place in 2011. Over 70 percent of these families would see no benefit at all. [Tax Policy Center, 6/16/11]

Citizens For Tax Justice Director Criticized Romney’s Plan Saying “For People Earning Below $100,000, Cutting The Tax Rate On Interest, Dividends, And Capital Gains Means Almost Nothing.” “‘For people earning below $100,000, cutting the tax rate on interest, dividends, and capital gains means almost nothing,’ said Robert S. McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice. ‘For those people earning between $100,000 and $200,000, you might be talking several hundred dollars in tax savings. Then, the question is, does he really have a plan that cuts off exactly at $200,000? That would be nuts - the person who makes $200,001 would be kind of angry.’” [Boston Globe, 9/8/07]

Romney Would Keep The Bush Tax Cuts For The Wealthiest Americans. “Mr. Romney said he would keep the Bush-era income-tax cuts unchanged. Mr. Obama wants the cuts, which were set to expire this year, to disappear for the wealthiest taxpayers.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/6/11]

Extending The Bush Tax Cuts For The Top 2 Percent Would Add $700 Billion To The Deficit. [OMB, The Budget for FY2012, Table S-2, pg. 173]

Romney Called For Lowering The Corporate Income Tax Rate To 25% From The Current 35% Though Tax Breaks Allow Many US Companies To Pay Little Or No Corporate Tax. “Mr. Romney called for lowering the corporate income tax to 25% from the current 35%. That rate is high compared with other advanced economies, but tax breaks allow many U.S. companies to pay little or no corporate tax. Mr. Romney said a lower rate would encourage companies to keep more operations within the U.S.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/6/11]

Gingrich Signed A Pledge To Oppose A Debt Ceiling Increase Unless The Federal Budget Reduces The Debt, Cuts Federal Spending, And Passes A Balanced Budget Amendment. “GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich signed onto the Cut, Cap and Balance pledge today, joining other presidential candidates Herman Cain, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. The pledge urges Congress to oppose raising the debt ceiling limit unless three conditions are met: cuts to federal spending to reduce the debt, caps on federal spending and passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. ‘Balanced budgets are achieved by those who are committed,’ Gingrich said in a press release. ‘Fiscal discipline requires lawmakers to be smart not cheap and requires a different type of thinking than we see in Washington. I am proposing bold solutions because we have big problems. I pledge to be a President who will rein in deficits, the debt and out of control spending. It can be done, I know because we’ve done it before.’” [The Daily Caller, 6/28/11]

In tonight’s Iowa Debate Mitt Romney casually offered a $10,000 bet, after calling a $1,500 tax break for the middle class a band-aid. Mitt Romney may not know what $10,000 means to middle class families, but here’s what the average American family can buy with $10,000:

While both Romney and Gingrich claim they’d support and defend Israel, they’ve both advocated for starting foreign aid at zero, including Israel. And a fundraiser for Romney served as a lobbyist for the Arab Bank, which was investigated by the Treasury Department for funneling money to Palestinian terrorists. Their records stand in stark contrast to President Obama, who has constantly demonstrated his unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and well-being, strengthening the unbreakable bond between our two nations. In both word and deed, the President has signaled to the world that the US‐Israel relationship is stronger than ever.

On immigration, Mitt Romney’s position is the most far-right of the Republican field. Tonight, he once again highlighted his extreme plan and said, “My own view is, those 11 million should register the fact they're here in the country. They should give some transition period of time, allow them settle their affairs and then return home and get in line at the back of the line with everybody else that wants to come here.” With plans like this, it’s clear that Romney is continuing his race to the right and taking his place as one of the most extreme presidential candidates in American history on immigration.

First, Romney said his health care plan in Massachusetts would be a model for the nation. Then, he flip flopped and said it shouldn’t. In reality, the national health reform law that Romney has vowed to repeal was based on Romney’s plan in Massachusetts.

Both Romney and Gingrich claim their policies are good for the American middle class. But the reality is the economic plans they’ve embraced slash taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans and do nearly nothing for the middle class.

In 2007, Gingrich Praised The Freddie Mac Business Model And Warned Against Changing It, In Direct Contrast With His Current Assertion That He Warned The Mortgage Company Of Its “Insane” Business Practices.

First, Romney was against extending the payroll tax cut because it was a “temporary little Band-Aid.” Then, he said he’d “like to see the payroll tax cut extended” because it helps American families. And tonight, he again called the payroll tax cut a “little Band-Aid.” His flip-flopping on the payroll tax cut - and his economic plan - shows middle-class Americans whose side he’s really on. And if $1500 for the average American family is a “little Band-Aid,” then why does his plan only give them $54?

Tonight, Mitt Romney said that we need to have trade policies that make sense for America, not just for the people with whom we trade. This President has not done that. And China, who has been cheating, has to be cracked down on.

Romney can’t make up his mind on what his strategy would be in Afghanistan. First, he wouldn’t say what he’d do. Then in January, he said it was his “desire” not to leave Afghanistan. Five months later, he claimed he wanted the troops to come home as soon as possible.

Romney and the rest of the Republican field support zeroing out foreign aid, even with our closest allies – including Israel. But in true Romney fashion, after he supported zeroing out aid to Israel, he flip flopped and said he wanted to increase it instead. And at tonight’s debate, he said his first foreign trip as president would be to Israel to demonstrate our strong relationship.

President Obama has launched a series of trailblazing initiatives to protect the health and safety of the American people, reduce our dependence on imported oil and promote responsible use of domestic energy and new, clean energy technologies

The latest GOP debate proved that none of the Republican candidates have a plan to create jobs. But we did hear from Rick Perry about Mitt Romney’s record on jobs, and from Romney on Perry’s record on children’s health care.

At last night's GOP presidential debate, instead of offering a plan to improve the lives of middle-class Americans, the Republican candidates fought over which one of them has changed their position the most since their books came out. None of them managed to offered a single new idea.

Rick Perry can try to blame others for the state of health care in Texas, but middle-class Texans know the reality: Under Governor Perry’s policies, health insurance premiums have risen 105 percent, nearly 6.5 million Texans are uninsured, and the state has spent as little as possible on health care.

If there’s one thing debate watchers could count on, it’s a full-fledged attack on Social Security from the Republican candidates. These are the same candidates who have previously called for privatizing Social Security and even labeled it a “Ponzi scheme” – and we heard more of the same tonight.

Mitt Romney claims he’ll lower taxes for the middle class, but his plan will actually let special interests write their own rules, provide more tax cuts to large corporations and wealthy Americans, and cost $2.1 trillion.

Tonight’s debate confirmed that the Republican candidates are more interested in saying what the Tea Party wants to hear than in doing what the American people are demanding: -- more interested in arguing if Social Security is a "fraud" or a "Ponzi scheme" than in creating jobs.

From Rick Perry criticizing Mitt Romney's record on jobs to Jon Huntsman's charge that his fellow Republicans are running from science, the Republican candidates took the gloves off and attacked each other at last night's debate.

The Republican candidates attacked President Obama on border security, but his record is clear: unprecedented resources for securing our border and a smart and effective approach to enforcing immigration laws.

President Obama has been pursuing all forms of responsible domestic energy production -- including a record investment in clean technology and the approval of the first new nuclear plant in 30 years. The Republican candidates, however, would all protect special tax breaks for oil companies at the expense of middle class families.

Though the Republican candidates rail against health care reform now, their criticism ignores the reality of their records. Two candidates implemented similar health reforms in their states and another’s has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation.

While Mitt Romney might like to claim that he’s the Republican candidate with the economic experience needed to be president, his record – from ranking 47th in job creation to raising taxes on individuals and businesses – tells a very different story.

While Perry might like to talk about the "Texas miracle," the reality is it’s just another Texas Tall Tale – just remember that growth has been driven by factors he didn’t control, like rising oil prices and increased military spending.

As governor, Mitt Romney bragged to the S&P that he had cut spending and raised taxes in Massachusetts. But at tonight’s debate, he flip flopped on the balanced approach he once took, even rejecting a compromise proposal of 10 spending cuts to every one revenue increase.

In tonight’s debate, Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann reiterated that they opposed the compromise debt agreement. They in fact are following the extreme wing of their party that would have allowed our nation to default for the first time in history, which would have had disastrous effects for our economy.